Monday, January 26, 2009

Rams have plenty of choices available to them in NFL draft

The underclassmen have declared, and their names thrown into the hopper. TheSenior Bowl has come and gone, and the NFL Scouting Combine is next up.

For now, there is no clear-cut No. 1 in the 2009 NFL draft. But some names areworking their way to the head of the class. Names that the Rams must time,test, interview, examine, discuss and otherwise sort through before making theNo. 2 overall pick  behind Detroit  on April 25. It's only a $50 millioninvestment.

The two months of free agency that precede the draft could change the Rams'needs. But for now, what will it be at No. 2? Offensive tackle? Linebacker?Wide receiver? Or even, quarterback?

At the moment, players at those positions appear most likely to occupy the topfive to 10 spots on draft day.

With left tackle Orlando Pace's great career winding down and right tackle AlexBarron completing another so-so season, you could make a case that offensivetackle is the Rams' greatest need. General manager Billy Devaney's oft-statedgoal is making the Rams bigger, stronger, and more physical on both sides ofthe ball. What better place to start than the tackle position?

"It's a big need position," said longtime scout Tom Marino, now an NFL analystfor Scout.com. "It's one of the three, four most critical positions around,that left tackle. And they've got to find one."

Virginia's Eugene Monroe, Alabama's Andre Smith, and Mississippi's Michael Oherare all potential top 10 picks at the tackle spot. Oher was the only one of thethree to participate in the Senior Bowl. Smith wasn't eligible to participatebecause he came out as an underclassmen.

"As far as just pure athleticism, Oher's as good as there is in this draft,"said an AFC personnel executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "Butis he going to be tough enough? Is his heart going to be totally into football?"

Monroe probably could have benefited from attending the Senior Bowl. Hefinishes blocks better than Oher, according to the AFC executive, and is moretenacious down field. "But there's still some reservations about his ability tomaybe anchor a power rusher, or do those kinds of things," the executive said.

As for Marino, if he was picking for the Rams and was told to pick a tackle,he'd go with Monroe. "This guy is by far the best of the offensive linemen," Marino said. "He's got great feet. He really understands the game. His pass protection is very good. He's got range. There's nothing I didn't like about him."

And what of Smith, the 6-foot-4, 340-pound behemoth from Alabama? He wassuspended for the Sugar Bowl, reportedly for improper dealings with a sportsagent. No one questions his size, strength, and aggressiveness. But some wonderif he's quick enough in pass protection to be an NFL left tackle.

"When you compare his feet to, say, the kid at Mississippi (Oher) or the kid atVirginia (Monroe) he's a tad below those guys when it comes to foot quicknessand that sort of thing," the AFC executive said. "He's a grinder kind ofoffensive lineman. He's a guy that can lock on you, and he'll go ahead andfinish you off."

Saying that, Smith's skill set might make him better suited to a team with a power-running offense, or as a right tackle. But if that's the case, and Smithis indeed best suited to right tackle, it would not be wise to expend a No. 2overall pick on that position.

Similar logic comes into play at linebacker, where Rey Maualuga of SouthernCalifornia and Aaron Curry of Wake Forest both could be top 10 picks. No onedoubts Maualuga's ability to play the run, and provide a physical presence inthe middle.

But there are differing opinions by scouts on whether Maualuga will be good enough in coverage to be an every-down linebacker in the NFL.

"You might think of him as a run stopper guy, but I thought he showed enough athleticism and everything (at the Senior Bowl) where he could probably be anevery down player," said the AFC executive.

But if you don't think that way, No. 2 overall is too high for a middlelinebacker who's a run specialist.

"Maualuga is pretty much an inside guy,'' said a veteran NFC scout. "And he'snot real good in coverage. He's got physical tools, but you can get those guys(later in the draft)."

Curry has excellent size (6-2, 246) and range. Although he hasn't received thehype of a Maualuga or a James Laurinaitis of Ohio State, many scouts rank himas a better NFL prospect.

"Curry is real good," Marino said. "I mean, he is really, really good. He'sgoing to play for a long time. To me, when he gets to baggage claim, he startsfor them."

In other words, Curry's an instant starter for whoever drafts him.

"I love Curry," said the AFC executive. "I would be shocked if he's not one ofthe better linebackers in the league within a couple years."

But from a Rams standpoint, because Curry isn't a middle linebacker, would itmake sense for them to draft him? Particularly with Will Witherspoon scheduledto make the switch from the middle to weakside linebacker next season.

Other defensive players that might be top-five or top-10 prospects are OhioState cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, Boston College nose tackle B.J. Raji anddefensive ends Everette Brown of Florida State and Brian Orakpo of Texas.

Even with the Rams' obvious needs at offensive tackle, the NFC scout would tryto go for defense in the first round if he were calling the shots in St. Louis.

"Their defense is so far down. I mean they're not even close to being good,"the scout said.

And what about the skill positions?

At wide receiver, Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree projects as a top-five pick.Missouri's Jeremy Maclin and Florida's Percy Harvin could push their way intothe top 15. Some think Maclin could even squeeze into the top 10.

At quarterback, Matthew Stafford of Georgia and fast-rising Mark Sanchez ofSouthern Cal both have top 10 potential.

"A guy like Crabtree would be a sexy pick," said the NFC scout. "He's abig-time down-the-field receiver. He'll come in and be good. He's legit. Justlistening to the Rams' scouts, I guarantee you the people there are going to bepushing for Crabtree.

"Which is the same thing that Matt Millen did for all those years (in Detroit).'Hey, let's get the receiver.' What happens so many times is you want that bigoffensive playmaker."